Fairfield still finding new targets on Elk property

Several decades ago, the district surrounding this peaceful community was crawling with prospectors and geologists aspiring to find a “company-builder” copper deposit similar to ones found at the nearby Craigmont, Brenda, Highland Valley or Similco mines. Today, Fairfield Minerals (TSE) is taking a different approach with its 160-square- miles of ground in the Okanagan area of southern B.C. Fairfield, already a contrarian for being one of the few juniors to not rush off into the wilds of northwestern British Columbia on the trail of mineral deposits, has adopted a strategy is to examine this “copper country” for its potential to host gold deposits. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, the yellow metal was a less attractive target than copper which was then in high demand because of the post- war industrial boom.

Four years after going into the area to begin consolidating a land position, Fairfield now feels it has outlined one gold deposit — the Siwash North — and uncovered potential for at least four more on its Elk property. At the same time, the technically oriented junior has optioned four of its eight properties (Elk, Dill, Bank and WH) to Placer Dome (TSE), which can earn up to a 70% interest through option payments and work commitments. In all cases, Fairfield would be carried to a production decision at no cost.

When The Northern Miner visited the Elk property in late August, surface panel sampling had been completed over the exposed portion of the Siwash North vein system. In addition, the current phase of a diamond drill program designed to trace the gold-bearing structure along strike and to depth was about 70% complete. The narrow, high-grade gold-bearing structure was exposed on surface during the 1989 program when backhoe trenching, stripping and preliminary diamond drilling were carried out.

John Stollery, president of Fairfield, said the company has now defined four areas of “significant” gold mineralization on the Siwash North vein structure, three of which are contiguous and average 0.50 oz. gold over a strike length of 1,280 ft. diluted to a 6.6-ft. true width. This calculation was made from assays of 357 surface samples, comprising 87 close-spaced cuts taken across the zone every 15-20 ft. along strike.

Diluted to a 6.6-ft. true width, the first area averaged 0.34 oz. gold along 460 ft. of strike; the second averaged 1.01 oz. gold for 380 ft. of strike; the third averaged 0.23 oz. gold along 440 ft. of strike; and the fourth averaged 0.27 oz. gold along 260 ft. of strike.

“The trenching and panel sampling program provides as good a look at this structure as we are going to see until we get underground. The values are consistent within the structure and we feel we are getting a representative sample,” Stollery explained. “On the other hand the primary purpose of the drilling is to trace the gold-bearing structure along strike and to depth so the good results there are just icing on the cake.”

So far, 41 holes have been drilled on a widespaced 150-ft. grid basis with 36 intersecting the structure. This year’s program involves 10,000 ft. of drilling in 43 holes, with 29 completed to date. Recent results include 0.27 oz. gold, 1.32 oz., 0.23 oz., 0.37 oz. and 0.47 oz. all diluted to a 6.6-ft. true width and evenly distributed throughout the drill area.

This method of reporting assay results is done in view of the fact the Siwash North vein structure is narrow (1.5-3.2 ft. wide) and all assays are diluted to a mining width of 6.6 ft. The structure itself dips at 20-40 degrees , suggesting the choice of mining method might be limited to room-and-pillar or cut-and-fill. Deeper drilling is planned for the second-phase program to test the depth potential of the vein structure.

At the Elk property, gold is typically hosted within quartz veins and clay alteration material along major structures cutting coarse granitic rocks and extending into adjacent volcanic rocks. The higher grade gold is often accompanied with pyrite, minor chalcopyrite, galena and sulfosalt minerals. On surface the sulphide minerals have been leached away, and it is possible to see sections with spectacular native gold in porous, vuggy quartz.

Metallurgical work is only preliminary, but good recoveries are anticipated using a combination of gravity and flotation processing techniques.

Stollery admits that he is often questioned as to why a major company like Placer Dome would be interested in a relatively small, narrow, high-grade gold-bearing vein such as that found at Siwash North.

“The trick is to find more of these of things, and the ounces add up pretty quickly,” he said. In addition to the targets found on the Elk property, Stollery said gold geochemical targets have also been outlined on some of the surrounding properties, all of which are easily accessible by road.

Siwash North was a “blind” discovery made by on-site geologists Jeff Rowe and Ed Balon after examining a mineralized outcrop exposed by logging activity. Because of the thin layer of overburden covering much of the property, the main exploration tool was is geochemical soil sampling.

Rowe explained that the exploration strategy involves completing soil sampling over the entire property, with more detailed infill soil sampling around known anomalies, followed by backhoe trenching of defined targets and mapping, prospecting and sampling.

Ed Kimura, Placer Dome’s exploration manager for Western Canada, said Siwash North isn’t being viewed as a stand-alone project. He told The Northern Miner that several other similar structures would need to be outlined before planning for development and production could begin.

“We are funding work on this project so we must be encouraged,” Kimura added. “Cordilleran is a professional group that has been working quietly and diligently and getting encouraging results. We’re paying attention to this property.”

Stollery is also president of Cordilleran Engineering, which undertakes mineral exploration programs on behalf of major and junior company clients. Until recently, Stollery was largely active in the Yukon where he played a role in a number of discoveries. As a result of his work, Fairfield retains a 40% interest in the Logan zinc deposit (geologic reserves total 13.6 million tons grading 6.17% zinc and 0.77 oz. silver) recently put on the block by 60% owner, Total Energold (TSE).